New Generation of Process Pumps

New Generation
of Process Pumps
MICHAEL CROPPER
SULZER PUMPS
New global industry standards are emerging to
describe the requirements for heavy-duty centrifugal pumps as used in refineries and process
plants around the world. Being a global pump
company and using state-of-the-art design and
manufacturing techniques, Sulzer Pumps is able
to release the next generation of process pumps
simultaneously for sale (and installation) in all
regions of the globe.
Process pumps used in refineries and chemical plants
routinely handle hazardous fluids
that are flammable, toxic and corrosive at high pressures and extremes of temperature. They are
subjected to continual operation in
these aggressive conditions and
are not expected to fail. Three
years of continuous operation and
a design life of twenty years are
mandated.
Evolving Industry Standards
Industry standards and specifications that describe customer requirements for the heavy-duty
centrifugal pumps used in these
environments have typically been
published by each of the major oil
companies. Many of them have derived their own company specifi-
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SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/2002
cations from those published by
the American Petroleum Institute
(API):
API Standard 610
(centrifugal pumps),
API Standard 682
(shaft sealing systems),
API Standard 685
(sealless centrifugal pumps)
Over the last five years, there has
been a major effort by internationally recognized standards committees to consolidate these API Standards and have them published as
ISO Standards. The result is an
eagerly anticipated publication of
two new ISO Standards later in the
year 2002: ISO 13709 (equivalent to
API 610, 9th edition) and ISO
21049 (equivalent to API 682, 2nd
edition). Expectations are that this
will allow the consistent specifica-
4051
tion and supply of such equipment
wherever in the world it may be
purchased and manufactured.
Global Expertise, Local Input
With industry consolidation as the
catalyst, Sulzer Pumps has taken
technical and manufacturing expertise from all regions of the
world and combined this into one
centrally co-ordinated project
team effort. The team was able to
consolidate the best features of
several successful and proven existing products into one comprehensive overhung process pump
product range. Sales and marketing members of the team have
additionally gathered the locally
expressed customer requirements.
The result is the widest customer
choice on the market, designed
and manufactured to the latest
technologies. All commonly specified performances, features and
2 This 3D representation shows the
wide range in pump
sizes of the new
generation of heavyduty process pumps.
options have been consolidated
into a product range of 72 frame
sizes, including two entirely different configurations: OHH and
OHM (see table).
Process Pump Type OHH
The type OHH overhung process
pump (Fig. 1) includes the latest in
mechanical seal technology and is
used in heavy-duty refinery services, petrochemical plants, gas processing, coal processing and offshore services. It is a horizontal,
single-stage, radial-split, centerline-mounted heavy-duty process
pump, designed and manufactured in full compliance with the
requirements of the forthcoming
API Standard 610, 9th edition. The
mechanical seals and auxiliaries
supplied are in full compliance
with the requirements of the forthcoming API Standard 682, 2nd edition. The fluids pumped include
water, gasoline, light hydrocarbons (propane, etc.), and crude oil
fractionator bottoms.
The customer benefits from the
robust construction, the versatility
in application, and the long reliable service life. A wide performance range (Fig. 2) provides for an
optimized hydraulic fit for all operating points within the preferred
operating range, thus ensuring
operation within close proximity
to the best-efficiency point.
1 The new type OHH process pump
was entirely designed and developed
through 3D CAD/CAM tools.
Pump size
Capacity
Head
Operating pressure
Operating temperature
Driver input
OHH
OHM (with magnetic drive)
DN 25 to 400 mm
DN 25 to 200 mm
up to 2250 m3/h
up to 600 m3/h
up to 300 m
up to 55 bar
–40 °C to +460 °C
–40 °C to +250 °C
up to 1000 kW
up to 250 kW
SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/2002
5
3 Specimens of the
impeller and the
volute casing of
the OHH pump for
testing purposes.
Type OHM:
With Magnetic Drive
The type OHM overhung process
pump includes the latest in sealless pump technology. It is a horizontal, single-stage, radial-split,
centerline-mounted pump with a
high-efficiency magnetic coupling.
It is a hermetically sealed system,
including a secondary containment with a dry running safety
seal. The bearings are productlubricated. Due to the modular
system, some elements are interchangeable with the type OHH
range. The pump is fully compliant with API 610, 9th edition, and
API 685.
OHM pumps are driven through a
magnetic coupling, thus eliminat-
4 Sulzer Pumps’ well-equipped manufacturing facility in Mexico City.
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SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/2002
ing the need for a mechanical seal
and the associated maintenance.
The pumps are employed wherever environmentally sensitive or
hazardous liquids – such as acids,
solvents, hydrocarbons or other
aggressive, explosive, toxic or
valuable fluids – must be pumped
without any risk of leakage. The
only monitoring equipment needed is for temperature, pressure,
leakage and vibration.
Rapid Design and Validation
Techniques
For the first time on an entire
consolidated product range,
Sulzer has used the innovative
techniques available from 3D
CAD/CAM throughout all aspects
of design and development. Starting with existing recognized hydraulic designs and proven performances, it was necessary to
identify any possible “holes” in
the available hydraulic coverage.
The target being to enable the customer to select a pump to operate
within 80 to 110 % of its best-efficiency point for any head and flow
point within the performance
range. The need for any modified,
scaled or newly designed pump
performance was thus established.
Hydraulic geometries were created and defined in three dimensions, using Sulzer’s own “Volute”
and “Impeller” design programs.
Designs were checked for conformance, using computational fluid
dynamic (CFD) studies (cf. STR
2/2001, p. 24). The completed designs were then imported, using
proprietary Unigraphics software
and configured into fully featured
solid models suitable for both the
direct CNC manufacturing processes and the creation of twodimensional detail drawings.
Components for hydraulic development testing were manufactured directly from these solid
models (Fig. 3).
In taking this approach, it can be
assured that all hydraulic performances have been validated
prior to release for sale: either from
full size pump tests on previous
product lines or from the comprehensive qualification test program
performed on newly developed
performances at Sulzer’s hydraulic test laboratory.
Global Supply Chain
The benefits of a fully integrated
global supply chain will be proven
out with the introduction of the
new product range during Spring
2002. Sulzer Pumps’ modern and
well-equipped manufacturing facility operating in Mexico City
(Fig. 4) will provide the focal point
for supply of all “bare shaft”
pumps. These pumps will be “delivered to order” into other packaging facilities within Europe,
North America and South America. From there, they will be mounted with baseplate, piping, motor
and all other ancillary equipment,
prepared for final customer inspection and shipped to site.
CONTACT
Sulzer Pumps (US) Inc.
Mick Cropper
2800 NW Front Avenue
Portland, OR 97210
USA
Phone +1 (1)503-226 53 30
Fax
+1 (1)503-226 55 68
E-mail mick.cropper
@sulzerpumps.com